Raiders: 5 late-round gems to target in the 2020 NFL Draft

Raiders, 2020 NFL Draft (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Raiders, 2020 NFL Draft (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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Raiders, 2020 NFL Draft
Raiders, 2020 NFL Draft (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

3. Tyler Huntley, QB, Utah

Despite playing for the 11-3 Utah Utes and putting together a solid senior campaign, Tyler Huntley has fallen under the radar.

Huntley is listed at 6-foot-1 and may lack ideal size, but as we have seen in recent years, height isn’t the most important trait for quarterbacks — certainly not as important as it was once thought to be.

Utah ran a pro-style offense and Huntley is comfortable lining up under center. He operates smoothly in play-action and his ability to throw on the run is perfect for Jon Gruden’s West Coast scheme predicated on the play-action and short passing game.

We haven’t seen much play-action the past couple of seasons, but that is mostly due to Carr not being the best on the move, not because Gruden doesn’t like running play action.

We all know the infamous spider-Y-banana play that Gruden loves, which is a play-action rollout. Huntley excels on rollouts to the right side.

Not only does his athleticism and speed make him great at avoiding pressure, but his overall pocket presence is rock-solid.

He seems to have a sixth sense in the pocket and knows exactly when to step up into the pocket or escape and scramble to the outside. His lower center of gravity and short-area quickness allow him to escape rushers even in tight spaces.

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When it comes to running the ball, his rushing yardage doesn’t paint the best picture of what he offers. He is tough to corral in the open field, as his cuts and juke move often break defenders’ balance.

While there are plays where he goes through his progressions, there are just as many where he will stare receivers down. He also needs to process things quicker and make better decisions with the football on a consistent basis.

Huntley has adequate arm-strength, but his deep-ball accuracy isn’t quite there yet. He also doesn’t put enough zip on a lot of the shorter-intermediate routes. That being said, his overall accuracy is still a plus.

Many of Derek Carr‘s critics point out his conservative play and unwillingness to go deep as much as they’d like. Huntley is also a rather conservative quarterback but he is willing to let it fly at times.

With solid mechanics, crisp dropbacks, quick feet, and the ability to use his legs, Huntley has the perfect skill set for the West Coast offense and is an intriguing developmental prospect who can sit and learn for a year or two.

If Huntley reaches his ceiling, I can see him way-outperforming his draft-placement in the same vein as Dak Prescott, who was a very similar prospect with a very similar set of skills coming into the league.

NFL Comparison: Tyrod Taylor, QB, Los Angeles Chargers